Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Ray Lewis (52) celebrates with inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) after winning Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Thus far in free agency, the Baltimore Ravens and their fans have witnessed several substantial losses to their team in general, with defense in particularly weak shape, at least to the general observer’s eye. As it stands, the Ravens have lost their leading sack specialist from last season in OLB Paul Kruger, to a division rival no less, in the Cleveland Browns, as well as another key LB in Dannell Ellerbe who took his respective talents to South Beach (Miami). In addition, the Baltimore Ravens have traded WR Anquan Boldin to John Harbaugh’s younger brother and the San Francisco 49ers –ironic, isn’t it?– for a 6th round pick. And today they’ve just released starting safety Bernard Pollard, where they’re set to be a lot of change in that secondary pending on what happens with future HOF Safety Ed Reed. However, their biggest loss by far this off-season has been losing LB Ray Lewis to retirement, the face for the Raven’s franchise for nearly 2 decades.

So…they’re in panic mode, yes?

If you ask that to a Ravens fan, they’ll probably stuff a hot pit beef sandwich down your throat and tell you to pipe down.

First off, I’d like to say I highly admire their fan base, as they’re certainly one of the most loyal bunch of fans I’ve ever hung around with. And, their franchise is one that deserves the utmost respect, as Ozzie Newsome now owns a pair of Super Bowl rings to go with his Lombardi Trophies. They have already locked up their QB in Joe Flacco, signing him to a 6-year deal worth a whopping total of $120.6 mil, $52 mil of which is guaranteed. This was a deal I initially and heavily, criticized seeing how he’s earning more total money than QB Drew Brees, who safe to say is still a superior QB. But, to the Ravens at least, stats don’t matter, as they’ve been in the playoffs for all 5 years of Joe Flacco’s career as their starting QB. And now, they’re Super Bowl champions under the leadership of Joe Flacco, with plenty of contributions coming from their defense of coarse.

Speaking of which, they signed former Giants DL Chris Canty to a 3 year deal yesterday, and despite the heavy loses suffered to their starting line-up, that unit still has plenty of talent to win games with. I speak of coarse about LB/DE Terrell Suggs, who definitely seems like he’s not going anywhere this off-season. Also, there is Haloti Ngata, an elite DL in his own right. While discussing their front 7, one must include the exciting prospect in Courtney Upshaw, he’s a player who can line up virtually anywhere on the DL or their LB corps. In addition, CB Corey Graham has turned into a smart signing by the Ravens’ management, being able to cover some of the better receivers the league has to offer. And, there is the prospect of Ed Reed returning to finish his career where it started. Plus, this is no longer a team that solely depends on defense to win games. The first move I mentioned, is one that signifies what could very well be the transition from Defense first, to Offense first.

This offense the Baltimore Ravens have built, mostly from their own drafts, is full of young and talented players at all phases. Ray Rice is one of the best RBs in the NFL, where his versatility is unmatched. Having someone that can take the load in the running game, then to see the same player convert on 4th and long with a short RB screen, is something to truly marvel.

Then, there is WR Torrey Smith, who is swiftly developing into a dynamic deep threat much in the way Mike Wallace developed for the Pittsburgh Steelers. By the way, Ravens fans won’t have to worry about Mike Wallace anymore, as he too took his talents to South Beach. Back on topic, there is a player I really like watching in TE Dennis Pitta, who the Ravens were wise to slap a 2nd round tender on before the beginning of the new league year. Dennis Pitta, is just a flat out football player. He blocks, he runs, he catches, and he scores TDs. He is just an all-round weapon that is set to develop into a serious threat in the NFL. Their OL has some promise, too, as OT Michael Oher isn’t the absolutely dominant force most fans have expected him to be, but he is an OL that deserves plenty of respect. Oh, let’s not forget about their best OL in Marshal Yanda, who happens to be one of the best linemen in the game. Now, this along with their LB corps is an area that needs serious attention, but then again this OL performed lights out in the playoffs, so only time will tell as to what happens in pass protection.

Of course, this is by far not a perfect team, and as just mentioned they have needs like all the other 31 teams have to attend to.

A general rule of the NFL these days, is you win through the draft, not free agency. While free agency provides to teams opportunities to supplement their rosters and solve critical problems with proven veterans, a long-term dependence on signing free agents from other teams will only result in bad cap management, and over-inflated salaries. You win long term by drafting and coaching your own players.

That, for the most part, is exactly what the Baltimore Ravens have done.

They have on occasion added players through free agent signings or trades, but for the most part, their roster is “home grown” in a sense. John Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL for a reason, he does his job, coach and develop players. His entire staff in general has done a good job in turning rookies into starters.

As of right now, the Ravens don’t have a lot of cap space to bring in free agents, so a strong draft is a must come this April. And if Ozzie Newsome should ever make a claim for being the best at what he does, then he would simply point to the players he has selected through the draft.

Overall, he has done a sensational job throughout his career of evaluating talent, and bringing that talent to his coaching staff for development. If you ask me, LB is their top need for this next draft, and there is expected to be plenty of talented LBs available in this next draft. In addition, they could also look to bolster their OL with one of their earlier picks, or perhaps add another speedy weapon for Joe Flacco to launch a bomb to. Despite the circumstances, the Ravens have options, and Ozzie Newsome has a plan. All I as well as any fan should do, is sit back, and watch what happens. After all, they are the defending Super Bowl champs.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison (92) during the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Within just a few short hours, the Baltimore Ravens have lost 2 key defensive players in Paul Kruger who signed with the Cleveland Browns and Dannelle Ellerbe who signed with the Miami Dolphins.  On top of this, they lost Ray Lewis.

They threw all this money at Joe Flacco, making him the highest paid quarterback in National Football League history as we all know, so everything should be alright, right? No.

Now what happens if they lose Ed Reed to another team? What would this team do? They definitely couldn’t be seen as a team who could defend their title and repeat as Champions in this league. Not the way things are looking, unless they have something hidden up their sleeve and throw us all a knuckle ball.

What move could that be? Signing James Harrison? Yes, that James Harrison. He would be perfect to come into this organization, after the talent this team has lost and pick up where they left off. It would be a long shot but it would be a lot better than relying on an inexperienced player, so why not make this move and allow him to guide the talent behind him.

Baltimore needs to be in full blown panic mode right now, sound the alarms, and  figure out a game plan! If I am a Baltimore Ravens fan, I am very very worried about what is going to happen later on in the season, as defending champions, when teams are running and throwing all over this team and wiping the stadium with them.

Baltimore Ravens, you need to make a move and bring in James Harrison before he commits to another team.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Reports recently broke that the Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Joe Flacco have just struck a deal.

Flacco who had outstanding numbers during the regular season (3,817 yards, 22 touchdowns and 10 ints) carried his performance into the post-season where it counted.

Entering the post-season, lead by the motivation of future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, Flacco and company were determined to send Lewis riding off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion in his final year. Along with that, Joe Flacco was looking to prove that he himself, should be considered an elite quarterback.

Start all four games, completing 73 passes with 126 attempts, he threw for 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns and 0 interceptions as the Ravens went through the Colts, Broncos, Patriots and the NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 47. Also earned himself Super Bowl MVP honors and a brand new car.

The deal is reported to be a multi-year contract and would make Joe Flacco the highest-paid quarterback in National Football League history. But now that he has his deal, will he remain consistent and perform the way he did this last season, through-out the big contract he will sign on Monday.

Terms of the contract are to be determined.

Joe Flacco’s career numbers: 17,633 passing yards, 102 touchdowns, 56 interceptions.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Terrell Suggs celebrates in the locker room after defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Terrell Suggs and the Baltimore Ravens emerged victorious over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII, but maybe there were more hurdles in front of them than just the 49ers. Suggs went on WFAN in New York on the “Boomer and Carton Show” and painted a picture of Super Bowl week that showed the NFL catering to the glamorous darling franchise of the NFL (one of several honestly) the San Francisco 49ers, while neglecting the lowly Baltimore Ravens.

The question that started the tirade, if you will, was about John Harbaugh loosing his mind during the Super Bowl black out, and wheter he could believe it.

“I could believe it because you all weren’t there the whole week,” Suggs said, via Sports Radio Interview. “Like, we were treated like this was just another 49ers Super Bowl quest and we was just the victims of it.”

Boomer was quick to point out that the 49ers might have felt the same way after the Ray Lewis last ride media barrage. That maybe the 49ers were just a foot note to the Ray Lewis story.

Suggs disagreed. I mean seriously did you expect Terrell Suggs to understand the other side of the coin.

“If you look, at considering everything, everything was kind of catered for the 49ers, even with the hotels where the families stayed and the facilities they had,” Suggs said. “We was just like, really? Everybody felt bad after the first practice. Our bodies felt terrible [after being on the Tulane baseball field], so it was the whole week. I think Coach Harbaugh was like, ‘I’ve had enough of it. We’re the visiting team and we’ve done everything the NFL said.’ He stuck up for us and said we are not turning over.”

He also added that he thinks Joe Flacco needs to get paid.

“I believe so. They need all them Brink’s trucks. I think he deserves it,” Suggs said. “Anytime you are as young as you are and it don’t take you 8-9 years to even go to the playoffs. He’s been in the playoffs every year.”

And that he has no idea what deer antler spray is, before anyone gets any idea of accusing him of anything.

“I have no idea about that. Let me go on the record: I have no idea what that stuff does.”

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens center Matt Birk (77) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Center Matt Birk helped lead the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory this past season, his first. And like his teammate Ray Lewis, Birk is going to ride off into the sunset having won his last game and finally getting that elusive Super Bowl Ring.

ESPN’s NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted: “Ravens C Matt Birk will announce his retirement today, the Baltimore Sun reports. Birk is poised to succeed off field as he did on it.”

Matt Birk was drafted out of Harvard in the 6th round of the 1998 draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He played the first 11 of his 15 NFL seasons in Minnesota before coming to Baltimore.

Birk’s current deal has him signed through the 2015 season but retirement was on his mind after losing in the AFC Championship game a season ago. He came back for one more chance to win a ring and finally won one.

He would’ve made $2.75 million this season, not a large number but nevertheless cap relief for the Baltimore Ravens who are trying to resign Super Bowl XLVII MVP Joe Flacco. That brings the total for the Ravens to $10 million under the cap, still not enough to ink the quarterback.

Gino Gradkowski, yes that other guys brother, is listed as the back up center for the Baltimore Ravens. They could try to go out and find a veteran to fill the void Birk will create by his retirement.

In an off-season where the defending Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens, have plenty of pending free agents to sign new contracts for in hopes of keeping the core of their roster together, who will already lose Ray Lewis to retirement, things took a rather dramatic turn when Joe Flacco’s agent Joe Linta was quoted in the following statement:

“Somebody said, ‘Should Joe be the highest-paid quarterback in the game?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ ” Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, told The Baltimore Sun on Wednesday night in a telephone interview. “I’m not going to be apologetic for him. He’s shown he’s a big-time guy in terms of contract versus other guys. He’s a lot younger than them, too. He’s hitting his prime.

And who exactly is currently the top paid QB in the NFL? One Drew Brees, who’s earning at least $20 million dollars per year in his gigantic, yet well deserved contract signed last off-season. Now let that set in for a minute; Joe Flacco, NFL’s top paid QB? That, in all honesty, makes absolutely no sense. Yes, he just won Super Bowl MVP, and he did throw an amazing 11 TDs, compared to 0 ints the entire post-season, but as you’re about to read, 1 Super Bowl title doesn’t mean you deserve to be paid more than QBs who have accomplished far more than he has in his career.

So let’s begin the argument by comparing him with the 1st player I named, Drew Brees. Not only has Drew Brees won Super Bowl MVP himself back in Super Bowl 44, but he’s also set, then broke his own passing records, passed for over 5,000 yards 3 times in his career, won NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and has led the Saints to being one of the top offenses in the entire NFL. Has Joe Flacco ever come close to accomplishing half of those performences? I think not.  Just last season, Joe Flacco managed to pass for 3,817 yards, 22 TDs, and 10 ints. That first number, his yards, is the highest in his 5 year career. The second number listed, is his second highest total in his 5 year career (25 in 2010). The third and final number, is good enough to tie his personal best set in 2010. Not once in his career, has he passed for over 3,900 yards, let alone 4,ooo yards. Drew Brees, on the other hand, has passed for over 4,000 yards in all of his years with the New Orleans Saints, making it 7 straight after last season, and he’s gone for over 5,000 yards 3 times in the past 5 years, as he became the 1st NFL player to go over 5,ooo yards at 3 different times in one career, and also became the first ever NFL player to go over 5,00o yards in back-to-back seasons. So let me get this straight, Joe Flacco deserves to get paid, more than this guy? Drew Brees? I sure hope not.

“Well what about being paid more than the other guys?” What about the other guys? Peyton Manning signed a 5 year, $96 million deal last off-season himself, and he’s a future HOF who’s also won Super Bowl MVP (Super Bowl 41), and has been named NFL MVP 4 times in his well documented career. “How about more than Tom Brady?” He’s won 3 Super Bowls, and took his team to the perfect season in 2007 (16-0), while leading his team to an additional pair of Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowls 42&46). “Well, Eli Manning?” He won his 1st Super Bowl MVP in his 3rd season as the team’s starting QB. “Ben Roethlisberger?” He’s won a pair of Super Bowls, and became the youngest QB to ever win a Super Bowl following their victory over the Seahawks in 2005 (Super Bowl 40). “He has to be paid more than Michael Vick.” Now this is up for debate, as Michael Vick was a beast in the past, but he’s not as good of a passer that Joe Flacco happens to be. Then again, there are a lot of QBs who are better than Michael Vick. And, Michael Vick got his big money contract after composing what looked like a true comeback story.

Which leads me to the concern Michael Vick, and a ton of other NFL players, have presented over the history of the NFL: the “busted” contract. Michael Vick was rewarded handsomely after winning the NFC East in 2010 as he finally played like the complete QB we all knew he was capable of reaching, but after that, he’s written a rather sad and dark tale title “Overpaid Quarterback”. And, it’s not just QBs. Anyone still remember Albert Haynesworth getting serious cash with the Washington Redskins some time ago? Oh, good times. There are just too many cases where players have produced one magical season, only to fall apart completely due to a variety of reasons. Before you go and say “but Eli Manning got paid immediately after his 1st Super Bowl!” no, no he didn’t. He received his then top contract in 2009, 2 years after his miraculous throw to win Super Bowl 42 against the (almost) undefeated New England Patriots, and after coming off his 1st career 4,000 yard season. Sounds like there’s a ton of competition stacked against Joe Flacco in regards of being the top paid QB in the NFL, besides, can the Ravens really afford to pay him like the top QB in the NFL?

With that, comes my final point, the Baltimore Ravens’ current situation. Like what I mentioned earlier, the Ravens come into free agency needing to re-sign a lot of their best players to new contracts, including OLB Paul Kreuger, veteran Safety Ed Reed, and young star TE Dennis Pitta (RFA). Also mentioned previously, was the news Ray Lewis will be retiring as he rides off into the sunset with his second Super Bowl ring, to put a storybook ending on a legendary career. Needless to say, the Ravens will be searching for a new ILB to fill the void presented by this move. I currently don’t have a doctorate in any mathematical degree, but that definitely sounds like the Ravens will already have a tough time trying to squeeze whatever cap space they have available in order to keep this team together in any hopes of repeating as champions. I seriously doubt they have an extra $20+ million in cap space to hand over to Joe Flacco in his new contract. Regardless of what happens, either by franchise tag or by new contract, it’s safe to say Joe Flacco nor his agent will be seeing those gigantic “$$$” anytime soon, especially since the Ravens are already pinned hard against the cap space.

For all that is good in Baltimore, I sincerely hope Joe Flacco doesn’t receive this rather unlikely Drew Brees’esque contract; they will be paying for it (literally) for a very long time.

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy after winning Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Is Joe Flacco an “elite” quarterback?

By turning down a contract extension in the offseason, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco took a huge gamble on himself going into the 2012-2013 NFL season.  That gamble looks like it will pay off handsomely. One Lombardi trophy and Super Bowl MVP award later, and it appears some team out there is going to pay elite-level money for the five-year vet.  The question that remains, however, is whether Flacco is truly a top-tier quarterback?  Mike Dyce and Justin Bitner take to the table to discuss one of the offseason’s hottest topics.

JB: When I think of an elite quarterback, I envision a guy who can take a team on his back and will them to a victory.  A guy who, when given the ball on the final drive and a touchdown or less deficit, strikes fear in the bones of his opponent.  This man must exhibit consistent excellence and be considered the face of the team.  Joe Flacco is not that guy.  He is a really good quarterback, just like Tony Romo or Matt Ryan or even Philip Rivers, but he’s not an upper-level quarterback.

MD: Joe Flacco is absolutely an elite quarterback. He beat Andrew Luck at home, and if he has the career people project will be a future Hall of Famer, then he went on the road, and beat two sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famers in Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. You could argue that he beat the two best or at the very least 2 of the Top 5 NFL quarterbacks in history. And he did it while throwing 11 TDs, and 0 interceptions, a feat that has never been done in 4 consecutive post season games. As far as face of the franchise, he is inheriting that throne from Ray Lewis as we speak. Next season, Joe Flacco is the face of the organization. And Tony Romo essentially did the same thing as Flacco with his contract extension by waiting to sign after the season. But only one delivered and won on that gamble, that makes him different. That makes him “elite.”

JB: It’s very fair to say that Joe Flacco had an “elite” 2012 postseason, I just wouldn’t say that overall he can maintain that level of play over the long haul.  He’s been a good quarterback with a great defense for the first five years of his career, and he has performed very well.  No quarterback in history has won a playoff game in each of his first five seasons, so he certainly deserves credit there.  However, this postseason aside, he’s been far from dominant from a QB rating standpoint, with an average rating of 66 (a number exceeded by Mark Sanchez’s 2012 regular season clunkfest) prior to this year’s breakout.  This year was great, but with a defense that’s about to be decimated by attrition in the next few years, Flacco won’t have the supporting cast to make him look better than he really is.  As for him beating quarterbacks head-on, I’d contend that the Denver win was more a product of Rahim Moore making an awful play on Jacoby Jones than Flacco slicing and dicing the Bronco D.  Luck is a rookie, so there’s that caveat.  The Patriots win was quality, but it would never have happened without the win at Mile High.

MD: Joe Flacco has started all 16 games in all 5 seasons of his NFL Career having never missed a game in his career. That new Brett Favre like Iron Man streak is enough to have him in a different elite class than the average quarterback. He has only had one season with less than 10 wins, a 9-7 season. He has never had a losing season and a career record of 54 wins and 26 losses. He has a career 60.5% completion, 102 career touchdowns, and 17,633 yards. Oh and only 56 interceptions. Peyton Manning also started every game in the first 5 years of career but had 2 losing seasons, 42-38 overall. He completed 62.1% of his passes for 20,618 yards, 128 TDs and a more staggering 100 interceptions. Tom Brady by comparison had a 58-20 record, 61.9% completion, and 123 TDs/66 Ints in his first 5 seasons as a starter. Joe Montana had a record of 28-21 with a completion percentage of 63.5, 11,979 yards 78 TDs, and 44 INTs in his first 5 seasons. He didn’t play as much as Flacco though, only starting 49 games. So Flacco seems like he is right on par with elite quarterbacks and all time greats at this point in his career.

JB: Let’s roll with that stats argument for a moment.  I’m going to give you three more quarterbacks with commensurate stats over their first five seasons in the starting role:

Player A: 60.52% completion, 13,955 yards, 97 TDs/59 INTs

Player B: 64.36% completion, 18,598 yards, 129 TDs/74 INTs

Player C: 63.68% completion, 19,513 yards, 135 TDs/57 INTs

The three quarter backs? Jake Delhomme, Daunte Culpepper and Philip Rivers.  Stats can be misleading at times, and it leads me back to my belief that Flacco is a really good quarterback.  In their primes, Delhomme, Culpepper and Rivers were really good as well; the giant difference was their surrounding pieces.  Flacco has the benefit of playing on a team that has Hall of Fame players at multiple positions on defense and some really nice pieces on offense.  Joe is skilled enough to manage the offense with enough competent flair to put him above the level of a Trent Dilfer, but he just doesn’t seem to have the killer instinct that Brady and the others have.  It may be an intangible quality, but the best way I can think of to quantify it is this: If your favorite team had to face either Brady or Flacco in the playoffs, who do you want?

MD: I think you could argue that your three quarterbacks had better pieces than Joe Flacco during this run. Delhomme had Steve Smith at wide receiver, and Muhsin Muhammad, not to mention Stephen Davis. Daunte Culpepper had arguably the best wide receiving corp in history at one point. That dynamic duo consisted of Cris Carter, who just found out he is entering the hall of fame and many think was a top 10 receiver all time, and Randy Moss, some of whom think will go down in history as the second best wide receiver of all time. And Phillip Rivers had an all time great in Ladanian Tomlinson, Antonio Gates, and Vincent Jackson. Who has Flacco had? Ray Rice? Torrey Smith, and a over the hill 32 year old Anquan Boldin? Flacco benefits from a better defense maybe than the the quarterbacks you mentioned though Delhomme had Julius Peppers. Joe Flacco might not be Tom Brady, but he is definitely no game manager like Trent Dilfer and Alex Smith.

The jury is still out on this one so feel free to vote in the poll below, and explain why you cast your ballot the way you did in the comments below.

Jan 20, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) scrambles against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game at the Georgia Dome. The 49ers won 28-24. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Or any other football game for that matter. You always hear people talking about how many championships Tom Brady or Eli Manning or Drew Brees has won. Or any other QB that has been part of a Super Bowl winning team. You see, the key word in that sentence is ‘part’.

This isn’t tennis or any other kind of solo sport. Those players win titles. Roger Federer and Novak Djokivc win titles. They directly affect the outcome of the game. It’s not a doubles match. It’s one man (or woman) against another and whoever plays the best wins the match.

A quarterback is reliant on several things to have success on the football field. How great would we think Brett Favre was if all his receivers dropped most of his passes? A QB needs his receivers to catch the ball. They also need to be well protected, and given the time to make the throws that they hope will be completions.

I am much more willing to accept that a running quarterback like Kaepernick or RG3 has a bigger outcome on a game than a passer who purely throws the ball. You see, when they take off running, it is purely down to them (and perhaps some good blocking) to make the play.

Don’t get me wrong – I fully realise that the quarterback is undoubtebly the most important player on the team. He plays pretty much every offensive snap, and if you have a good one then you have every chance of winning games.

But you never hear about how many centers or left tackles have won Super Bowls, do you? Nope; it’s always the quarterback who wins the game. Even elite rushing backs and receivers don’t get credited with winning Super Bowls. When looking back through history, we always hear about how many Super Bowls a quarterback has won. As if they did it all by themselves.

So, as we approach this Sunday’s title match in New Orleans, it’s worth remembering that either Colin Kaepernick or Joe Flacco will be given most of the praise for winning the Super Bowl. Even if the victor plays an absolutely awful game, we will, when talking about this game in the future, tell everyone that one of those players won the Super Bowl. Almost as if they were playing each other in some bizarre solo version of football where no one else was even involved.

The fact is this – many things need to go your way to win a football game, or any other team sport. Yes, the QB is pivotal, but it’s not the be all and end all. Let’s stop talking about how many championships a quarterback has won, and remember that every player on that team deserves equal credit. From the punter to the right guard, and everywhere else in between.

This Madden simulation has correctly predicted 7 out of the last 9 Super Bowl winners, so it’s worth taking note.

The below is a summary of how the game played out, released by EA Sports, via Yahoo.

The video is below for those who don’t want to read the transcript of Ray Lewis’s last ride. It does have quite an interesting ending though.

In a thrilling contest that went down to the final seconds, the Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) Madden NFL 13Super Bowl Prediction Powered by Xbox 360® has predicted the Baltimore Ravens as Super Bowl XLVII champions, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 27–24. With the victory, the Ravens captured their second Lombardi Trophy and allowed linebacker Ray Lewis to end his illustrious NFL career as a Super Bowl champion. To view the full prediction video, click here.

Both the Ravens and 49ers were held to first quarter field goals as the two top-ten defenses imposed their will to start the game. But any illusions of a low-scoring affair were shattered in the second quarter when the 49ers’ Frank Gore scored on a 19-yard run and Joe Flacco quickly answered with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Torrey Smith. Later in the quarter, Baltimore added a Ray Rice touchdown run to secure a 17-10 halftime lead.

The Ravens continued to pour it on in the third quarter, with Joe Flacco tossing a 24-yard strike to Anquan Boldin to stretch the Baltimore lead to 14. San Francisco refused to go quietly though, getting an early fourth quarter touchdown from Frank Gore and adding a game-tying 12-yard touchdown pass from Colin Kaepernick to Vernon Davis just before the two-minute warning.

Baltimore wasn’t about to let the 49ers spoil Ray Lewis’ retirement party though, methodically moving the ball down the field on the back of Ray Rice and capping the drive with a 40-yard field goal from rookie kicker Justin Tucker to push the Ravens ahead 27-24. The 49ers made one last attempt at capturing their sixth Lombardi Trophy, but an Ed Reed interception of a pass from Colin Kaepernick with ten seconds remaining capped the Ravens’ second Super Bowl title in franchise history and proved once more that defense wins championships.

Living up to his preseason claims that he was indeed an elite quarterback, Joe Flacco took home MVP honors completing 19 of 27 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. En route to his first Super Bowl victory, Flacco eliminated a number of young signal callers and future Hall-of-Famers including Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Colin Kaepernick.

The EA SPORTS Madden NFL Super Bowl Prediction continues to be one of the most accurate prognosticators of the NFL’s biggest game. The prediction has accurately called seven of the last nine Super Bowls, and was two points away from predicting the exact final score of the 2009 matchup between the Steelers and Cardinals.

This week the Madden NFL franchise will be providing wall-to-wall coverage of the Super Bowl live from New Orleans. Fans are invited to become a Madden Insider for exclusive information on Facebook including interviews with athletes at Super Bowl Media Day hosted by Von Miller, an inside look at the Madden Bowl red carpet with Arian Foster and much more. It’s a unique look at the big game that only the Madden NFL team can provide.

Madden NFL 13 is developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon. Madden NFL 13 is now available and retails for $59.99 on the Xbox 360 videogame entertainment system, Nintendo Wii U™ and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and is also available for $49.99 on the Wii™ console from Nintendo and $39.99 on PlayStation®Vita computer entertainment system. To learn more about Madden NFL 13, visit http://www.easports.com/madden-nfl. For Madden NFL 13 assets, visit:http://maddennfl13.newslinevine.com/ or http://info.ea.com.

All player participation has been facilitated by National Football League Players Incorporated, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

EA SPORTS is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, fan programs and cross-platform digital experiences. EA SPORTS creates connected experiences that ignite the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey,NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, SSX™ and Fight Nightboxing.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums and game apps, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

Dec 16 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) looks to pass in the fourth quarter of the game against the Denver Broncos at M

Some time this season, when discussing fantasy football on Twitter, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was described to me as ‘meh’. And I thought this was the perfect description. For those unfamiliar with the term, here’s what the ever- reliable urban dictionary has to say:

An interjection used to imply indifference towards a subject; “a verbal shrug”

And that, to me is what Joe Flacco usually is. You can take him or leave him. He can play really good one minute, and then have an awful game the next. He’s not someone that sets the NFL alight, and without being to harsh on the guy, he does a decent enough job.

But fast forward to this year’s playoffs, and Joe Flacco has been anything but average. Right now, he is the definition of a player ‘getting hot’ at exactly the right time. Let’s take a look at his post season statistics so far.

In the Ravens’ three playoff games this year, Flacco has thrown eight touchdown passes. That’s more than any other post season quarterback. Matt Ryan is second on the list with six. The Ravens QB is also yet to throw an interception, which puts him level with Andrew Luck. But remember that Luck has only played one playoff game, compared to Flacco’s three.

He also leads all quarterbacks with 853 passing yards. That’s nearly 200 more than Tom Brady, which is unexpected, even with Brady playing one less game. He has attempted just one less pass than Brady, completing 51 out 93, leaving him with a pretty average 54.8 completion percentage. But it’s worth pointing out again that he has not thrown any interceptions, which is of great importance, especially now we have reached the playoffs. Turnovers can really cripple a team’s chances of winning, and Flacco has been flawless in that department.

Flacco’s playoff passer rating currently sits at 114.7, which is more than the Ravens could have hoped for. He truly is playing well when it matters.

All of this begins to come into perspective when we examine Flacco’s regular season numbers. He was 12th amongst QBs with an 87.7 passer rating, completing 59.7% of his passes, and throwing 22 touchdowns. All this, you have to admit is pretty ‘meh’.

Apart from Denver, Flacco and the Ravens have yet to face a really tough defense. How he performs against the 49ers and their dominant defense remains to be seen. They will be looking to get more pressure on Flacco, perhaps forcing him into mistakes that, so far he hasn’t made.

Ravens wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith will have to play well, and so will tight end Dennis Pitta. Running back, Ray Rice will have to continue the good form he has shown this post season, but perhaps most importantly, Joe Flacco has to play one more great game. That’s all he needs to do, and the Super Bowl could be headed back to Baltimore, when all is said and done.